Pictures and Pondering

My next written post will be most probably of epic proportions, due to the nature of its contents. So in the meantime please gaze upon my latest photographic offerings. I have picked the best from each new Flickr set and then provided the link to the rest of the sets for your enjoyment.

From the Parkgate set

From the New Brighton set

From Local Churchyard set

From Door with a view set

Please remember if you are desperately missing more regular blogging from me, I am blogging daily on my photo a day blog, which is linked in the sidebar! I am currently on Day 91! Time certainly does fly.
So that should explain why I am taking so many ruddy photographs at the moment, if you didn't know that already. The main motivation for the photo a day project is preparation for the wedding of the year in May. Not my wedding, but the big little sisters, who is letting me take the photographs.. poor girl!

Regardless of the mood, the sun still sets.

After writing last weeks waffle on the evils of those walls made of bricks, I realised I was in dire need of fresh air and good company. So on the Saturday I played out with friends and was even refused entrance to a nightclub because apparently all three of us looked younger than 25. Whilst I admit to looking youthful, the bouncer knew very well that we were old enough to drink in that establishment. Ah well, no harm, no foul, we just toddled over to the nearest pub and gazed upon the strange folk that inhabit my town. Out of the three of us out that night, it is only I that still live in town in which we all grew up. They, out of some morbid curiosity, ever now and then, want to play out in our old stomping grounds, but once there, realise why they are the stomping grounds of old. A good time was still had, but hopefully they have learnt their lesson this time and we pick somewhere decent next time.

The next morning, even though a few sherbets where had by all, I had no hangover! This may be down to consuming a rather large bacon butttie when I got in? We all know that bacon is the food of Gods and drunk people. So I had another one when I woke up too, heh.  The weather was unusually sunny and nice, so I decided to head out with the dad for a spot of birdwatching. This also meant I could take the camera out for a proper play outside, instead of just in the garden. It was more than delightful to out and about, stretching the legs and getting some fresh air! Firstly we went to a small nature reserve called Marton Mere and then headed to Southport. At Southport, I got there just in time to see this beautiful sunset! It was absolutely lovely.

Even as the light began to fade, the scenery still looked so beautiful and peaceful.


Things:
I have noticed, when I feel bad about being behind in college work, I don't doodle.

The post I was going to write, was a post on my thoughts/fears on becoming a therapist, but I couldn't find the words I wanted to use. Then I wondered if it would be something that anyone would like to read? Do you wonder what motivates someone to become a therapist? Do you wonder what scares the shit out of them?

The empty box and brick wall

Some days it feels like my head will explode with ideas for doodles, future client work, college assignments and blog posts. Other days it feels like there is nothing there but inconsequential Styrofoam bits of nothingness. I rummage round for signs of life, but just find dust. I have been looking at all my college notes and trying to get the rest of my work finished. I look back at the work and realised that I loved every minute of it, especially when writing up my own philosophy towards therapy and counselling.

Which can be found here (if you want to have a look).

So if I enjoyed every minute of college, what the hell am I waiting for!
Get bloody on with it!

Last year was pretty awful, nearly all of it was spent under exceptionally stressful circumstances, which culminated in the mumborg having her leg amputated. The mumborg is my mum, you can read about the operation here and all posts mum related are here. The operation went well, as well as these things can go and she is finally home.

Other times I feel like I am either running into or building too many of these.

During stressful times, walls are built and forcefields are set to maximum, just to get through the day.There was many a time last year, when I thought mum was going to die, although she assured me that would not be the case and to get on with my bloody work. So I would switch from being deathly worried to pissed off that she was still in hospital. Then I hopped back on the guilty train when they finally made the decision that the leg would have to go and this was a 'serious' operation. As I mentioned above, the operation went well, mum is doing great now. So finally I could relax, after months of worry, then I promptly got swine flu and have been ill ever since! So as the stress walls crumbled, so apparently did my immune system. So as one wall crumbles, I run head first into another.

The photographs are all part of my 365 photo a day project, they turned out pretty serendipitous don't you think? I didn't know what I was going to write, till I actually started writing. This page has been blank for most of the day, kind of like me.

It is hard work, this personal development lark. You open up yourself and see your own little world through shiny new eyes. It is inspiring, thoughtful and a whole feast of wonderful things, but the sun glares down on your new eyes at times and it all feels a bit raw. I suppose this could explain my new appreciation of music, I should emphasise that I mean 'good' music and with that, I am afraid blubbering occurs! Something about being in a certain melancholic mood and haunting vocals that now equate to me blubbering. To be honest, it is not sad crying, just going with the flow. All that tampering with ones empathy levels, has a strange effect, don't even mention sad puppy adverts or TV charity appeals or the ruddy news.

Never fear, I am never melancholic for long, not when you can put a donk on it.....

Please forgive me for this, but watch this youtube clip 'Put a donk on it'

(You need to watch that, well maybe not 'need').

/seconds later....

Did you watch the 'Donk' video? If so, I am sure you will never take me seriously again, which may have been an evil ploy, so that you don't think I have gone all soppy and melancholic. The Donkness also gives you a wee glimpse into the music of my 'youth' and how ones tastes change over the years.

From Donk to the Down-Tempo and everything in between.

My three thumbs UP of the week go to the music blog Slowcoustic, I first discovered this blog when my musical chum @Tartytart wrote a guest post over there, which inspired my snogging post. Since then I have been catching every musical tidbit that slowcoustic throws our way, it is treat to your ear lobes!

So now that I have waffled on, I am off to do battle with my Boggart.

Freezing Blue Tits!

 Click image to see Blue Tit large

It so cold over here in the UK, that our tits are in danger, well by 'our' tits, I actually mean the various tits that you find in your garden. No no, not a loved one building an inappropriate snowman, tits of the feathered kind.

Following advice taken from the RSPB website

The RSPB is asking people to follow a wild bird winter survival plan that will help wildlife during the harshest weather.

1. Put out feed regularly, especially in severe weather. Set up a bird table and use high calorie seed mixes. This can also be used to put out kitchen scraps such as animal fats, grated cheese and porridge oats
2. Put out hanging feeders for black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, sunflower-rich mixes or unsalted peanuts
3. Ensure a supply of fresh water every day. If it is very cold use tepid water but DO NOT use any antifreeze products
4. Put out fruit, such as apples and pears, for blackbirds, song thrushes and other members of the thrush family
5. Food bars or fat hung up or rubbed into the bark of trees is a great help for treecreepers, goldcrests and many other species
6. Put up nest boxes to provide roost sites for the smaller birds. They will then be used for breeding later in the year

 For the rest of the RSPB article, with more valuable info, please click here - Feed the birds

All this effin cold weather has allowed me to play with my new foster camera out in the snowy weather. What is a foster camera I hear you ask? Well as I am taking the photographs for my sisters wedding, she has allowed me to play with her camera till after the wedding. So till June, I have her Canon EOS 1000D to play with, woohoo. You can see my photographic progress over on my daily photography blog or on my flickr.

December depicted in doodles and snaps

Well December whizzed by faster than a duck in roller boots being chased down hill by a rabid fox. In fact the whole of 2009 went pretty much that way. Not sure if I will do a review of 2009 yet, maybe and maybe not, at the moment I am not feeling it.

Anyhoo luckily I am doing this photo a day thingy, which not only provides me with an alibi for most days, it also reminds me what the feck I have been doing this past December. As I am not posting all the photographs I am taking daily on this blog, I would like too share them still on here, as I did with the November post.

So December in photographs..